By: Mary Berkowitz (10th Grade)
In this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Terumah, Moshe is commanded by Hashem to make a menorah out of just one block of gold. Although Moshe was extremely holy, he needed Hashem’s guidance to visualize the menorah and then create it. However, even after Hashem’s vision, Moshe still struggled to make it. Moshe threw the bar of gold into the fire, hit it with the hammer and then asked for Hashem’s help. Due to Hashem’s greatness, a complete menorah emerged from the fire. This brings to light an interesting question: Why would Hashem use divine intervention if He knew that Moshe still wouldn’t have been able to make the menorah?
When an individual has a goal, they must also have a vision. Before going into something, a person needs to know what they want. Comparably, Moshe couldn’t have just prayed and expected Hashem’s assistance without having a clear picture of what he wanted. Thus, Hashem had to demonstrate to Moshe what was needed to be done, and from there Moshe could ask for help in making the menorah.
Moshe’s actions teach us a recipe for success. When we clearly define our goals, they become much easier to accomplish. We should learn from Moshe and achieve all that we set out to do.
Shabbat Shalom!
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